Former Durham officer indicted on drug, weapon charges

Sherrod Peace, 35, who resigned from the Durham Police Department at the end of December, was indicted Wednesday on charges he distributed less than 5 grams of crack cocaine on Dec. 21 and that he possessed a .45-caliber handgun during the alleged incident.

Federal authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, and he was arrested on Friday morning. He was scheduled to have a first court appearance the same day.

Police Chief Jose Lopez said in a statement released late Thursday that he received a complaint in early October that Peace was involved in illegal activities, and the department immediately started both a criminal and an internal investigation.

The criminal investigation was conducted by Durham police with assistance from a federal Drug Enforcement Administration task force, he said.

“We take any allegation of misconduct by our employees very seriously and thoroughly investigate all complaints. Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect the community, and we must be held to a high standard,” Lopez said.

Peace joined the department in 2003 and was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Bureau. He was a defensive lineman for the UNC football team in 1998 and 1999.